Vitória City Hall was fined R$42,309,562.28 by the State Institute for the Environment and Water Resources (Iema) for illegal sewage spills at Praia da Guarderia. The Environmental Infraction Notice was signed last Tuesday (1st).
The penalty was issued almost a week after the city hall itself imposed a R$37.8 million fine against Companhia Espírito-Santense de Saneamento (Cesan).
According to Iema, an inspection carried out on August 29 revealed that the pollution at the site had been caused by a sequence of failures in public works and negligence in the inspection of sewage by the city hall.
Vitória City Hall was contacted by g1, but did not respond until the publication of this report.
Also according to Iema, one of the irregularities identified during the agency's actions refers to the directing of the lowering of the water table, during the works of the new Praia do Canto Stormwater Pumping Station (Ebap), towards the rainwater drainage network, reaching the Praia da Guarderia region, without demonstrating a prior assessment of the quality of the effluent.
Iema's inspection also pointed out the failure to respond, within the deadline, to the agency's own request related to possible releases of sewage through the rainwater drainage network and the delay in adopting inspection measures to identify and interrupt irregular connections.
According to the institute's analysis, the persistence of contamination sources contributed to the change in water quality and reached an environmentally protected area.
In March of this year, the Public Ministry of Espírito Santo (MPES), through the Public Prosecutor's Office of Vitória, decided to adopt measures to investigate the occurrence of a dark spot identified in the vicinity of Ilha do Frade and Guarderia and the functioning of the rainwater drainage system.
According to information that supports the Environmental Infraction Notice, Iema's analysis took into account information sent by MPES, data and conclusions from the State Audit Court (TCES) and results of monitoring carried out by the interinstitutional working group created to investigate the episodes in the region.
Finally, the body asserts that the application of the fine does not end the administrative process: the municipality of Vitória has guaranteed the right to full defense and contradictory proceedings and may present a defense within 21 working days after notification of the fine.
Almost a week ago, Vitória City Hall had imposed a fine of R$37.8 million against Companhia Espírito-Santense de Saneamento (Cesan) due to irregularities identified in the sewage network in the capital of Espírito Santo.
The punishment, applied by the Municipal Department of the Environment (Semmam), was based on technical inspections carried out in June in the neighborhoods of Praia do Canto, Santa Helena and Enseada do Suá.
According to the city hall report, inspection teams used smoke tests, application of dyes and tracking of underground networks to map flows.
The inspection found flaws in the system operated by the concessionaire: 17 irregular connection points (overflows) and 38 irregular properties releasing domestic sewage directly into the rainwater drainage network.
In parallel with the municipal fine, the Public Ministry of the State of Espírito Santo (MPES) introduced a new charge on Friday (28) due to the reappearance of a dark spot in the vicinity of Ilha do Frade and Guarderia.
The Public Prosecutor's Office of Vitória sent letters with a deadline of 10 working days for the city hall, Cesan, the Public Services Regulation Agency (ARSP), the concessionaire GS Inima and the State Institute of Environment and Water Resources (Iema) to provide clarifications and adopt measures.
Vitória City Hall sent a proposal to the Public Ministry to convert the R$37.8 million fine into practical basic sanitation actions, including complete inspection of the network and elimination of irregular connections.
In an official note, Cesan informed that it received the notice and that it will present an administrative appeal, denying any relationship between the dark spot and the sewage network.
